Destructive Information
by FLASOK
Summary: By sheer luck, Dib has finally captured Zim and made him his prisoner. He plans to upload Zim's PAK info onto his laptop to show the Swollen Eyeballs, but a glimpse at Zim's memories changes everything he ever thought about his arch enemy.


**A/N- WHOO! First Invader Zim story posted here! 8DD**

**It's not intended to be a ZADR, but I guess you could take it like that if your creative enough. My story is flexible to your interests. :D**

**And no, this is NOT going to be a multi-chapter. But I'm working on a multi-chapter right now if that makes you feel any better. xDDDD **

**Disclaimer- This worm-baby owns NOTHING. :D**

It may have been sheer luck that he had finally captured him, but Dib wasn't complaining; after all, the universe hated him, so luck seemed like a gift from heaven; a sign that he might win this time. His net gun had done its job perfectly--a smack-on-target shot-- allowing this sweet moment of victory to be possible. But his silent celebration was interrupted by the groaning and jingling of his prisoner's chains emanating from behind him. He turned and aimed a kick at the squirming Zim who grunted at the harsh contact of a boot to his ribs. Still, he resisted, tugging against his restraints, persistent as he was.

"You may as well give up, Zim. I've won," the human growled with irritation thick in his tone, standing over the Irken. The upper hand over the alien gave him a twisted pleasure that coaxed a smirk onto his lips despite his frustration at Zim's refusal to keep still. Though, what had he expected from the stubborn alien; cooperation? The mere thought of Zim being reasonable was something to laugh at.

"Never, Dib-_worm_! I haven't lost until I'm dead!" the Irken hissed venomously, putting an especially nasty inflection on 'worm'. How humiliating that he had to look up at the human as he said this! He had no choice though, for he was bound at the wrists and ankles by chains that hooked onto several rings set in the steel crater he was forced to kneel in. The Dib would regret this; _oh_ how he would pay for making a mockery of the Mighty Zim!

Upon hearing Zim's retort, Dib's smirk slowly slid off his face like water droplets on a window pane. In reply, he simply made an aggravated grunt, turning his back to the alien and walking stiffly over to his laptop. He flipped the screen up and opened a program as he returned to his spot at the edge of the steel pit.

"Fine, Zim. You just keep thinking that as I hack into your PAK and seal your subsequent doom. I'm uploading the information I gather onto my computer and burning it onto a CD for the Swollen Eyeballs to see, _and_ there's nothing you can do about it, seeing as you're chained to the floor at the moment. Even if you manage to escape me after this, I'll still be victorious."

The green boy snarled furiously, struggling against his bonds, chaffing his already bleeding wrists further.

"Not if I impale your stupid laptop with one of my PAK legs." he snapped, pink eyes flashing dangerously.

Dib shrugged as he typed. He cleverly said nothing about the hidden camera in the room, filming the alien as they spoke.

One of Zim's antennas twitched in irritation, as if someone was jerking it upwards with an invisible string, and his magenta eyes narrowed. The other antenna was perfectly horizontal and tense, the thick scythe tip stretched out slightly at a ninety-five degree angle instead of its restful thirty degree position. Dib silently noted this with interest. Really, the black feelers were intriguing. He raised an eyebrow in contemplation and brought a hand up to cup his chin, index finger tapping at his lower lip, thinking. Curiosity getting the best of him, he decided to conduct a little experiment.

He made his way over to the refrigerator on the other side of the lab and swung open the door, searching for that imported cheese, the one that reeked like mold. His nose found it before his eyes and he tried not to gag as he pulled it out and carried it over to the restrained Irken.

Zim's tactile members shot up, tips bending forward in a three hundred and thirty degree angle, alert, as Dib carried the cheese towards him. They shivered a bit, stiffened, and suddenly dropped flattening against his skull in disgust.

"What _is_ that _horrible_ stink-block you're carrying?" he demanded, recoiling from the potent odor of the cheese. Of course, Dib didn't bother answering. He merely muttered, "Interesting…" to himself and carried the cheese back to the refrigerator, carefully watching as Zim's antennae slowly rose again into their usual position of rest. If he didn't have to kill the alien right away, he made a note to take time to study those curious appendages. For now, however, it was back to the original experiment.

He was untangling the cord he would use to connect Zim's PAK to his laptop, surprised the alien was being so quiet (perhaps he finally felt the weight of his situation) when Zim ruined that observation by saying,

"Why do you care, Dib-human?"

Dib hesitated, ceasing his progress for a moment before continuing to unravel the cord.

"What do you mean?" he asked. He heard the chains that held Zim down clink as the alien shifted.

"Zim has been thinking-" he began, but was interrupted by a snort of laughter from Dib.

"That's a first," the human chortled with a sneer.

Zim's antennas stiffened, jerking upwards in hostility. A growl, like that of an irritated cat's came from deep in the Irken's chest.

"Quiet, human!" he hissed, "What I mean is, why do you have such a strong desire to save the pitiful humans who don't even have any respect for you? What's the point?"

There was a smirk in his voice, but also genuine curiosity. Dib stopped detangling the cord and clutched the thick wire tightly in his fist.

"That's exactly the reason I'm doing this." he muttered, avoiding Zim's crimson gaze, staring at a table leg instead.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"What I'm saying, is that when I expose you, they _will_ respect me. No one will make fun of me anymore because they'll see that I was right all along. I'll finally get the respect I deserve."

He suddenly turned on Zim, hot fury building in his chest.

"You don't know what it's like, Zim, being a freak! I'll bet your race appreciates you and respects you! They all probably think you're pretty awesome for coming here to Earth so you can conquer it in the name of Irk!" he shouted.

There was a moment of complete silence before a scornful grin found its way to Zim's mouth.

"Pathetic human." he chuckled, "Your need to feel accepted and loved is weak, which is why we Irkens are unable to love and care for anyone or anything besides our missions. But yes, you are correct about my race thinking I am superior. I am a hero back on my home planet."

There was a prideful light in the alien's eyes that made Dib horribly jealous, tormenting his emotions. To make the ache in his chest disappear he had to turn away from Zim completely.

After he had struck that sore spot in the center of Dib's heart and seen yielding in the human's expression, Zim's ego inflated and he was soon struggling and shouting again. However, his yelling stopped abruptly when Dib shoved the cord into his PAK rather roughly, shredding into some of the equipment inside.

Immense discomfort pulsed through the small Irken so all that came from his lips were grunts and growls of irritation as his PAK was forced to feed information into the cord. The human didn't have the right machinery to access the data it held and the incompatibility between the differing technologies was made known to Zim.

As for Dib, his eyes were glued to his computer screen, watching as scenes of Zim's life played out on the monitor. He watched, overtaken with fascination, as Zim's days as a smeet and young Irken were displayed, playing in segments.

There was Zim, sneaking to the surface of Irk when he was supposed to be underground with the other smeets, Zim going through basic training and screwing up, Zim going through military training and screwing up, Zim just plain screwing up, Zim destroying his own planet, Zim getting sent to Food Courtia as punishment…the list just went on and on. Dib found himself snickering in cruel amusement as the failures just kept getting worse.

And then, there was a part of Zim's life-slideshow that made Dib's eyes widen.

Zim was being held on trial for something…something about his past mistakes. Zim looked nervous at one point in the video, which was a shock to the human. Zim almost _never_ looked nervous.

The ruling came next and there was a loud voice that boomed, "Irken Zim's I.D PAK is damaged and has led to a corrupt data path. HE IS... A _DEFECTIVE_. Irken Zim's data is not allowed to into the collective. His PAK will be removed, and erased."

Dib could see two tall Irkens grinning ecstatically and recognized them as Zim's leaders, The Tallest. Irkens--Zim's own people--were cheering excitedly in the stands. He gaped, shocked and confused at what the screen was showing him. Zim was… an outcast? It didn't make any sense…Zim always bragged about his leaders and how great they thought he was!

Unless…

Unless Zim's impressions--his whole _mission--_ were wrong and a misconception! Everything was an illusion, a lie, just to get Zim away from Irk so he wouldn't destroy anything else. It was twisted, but everything made sense.

A cold shock stung Dib from the inside, out, festering inside him the longer he watched.

Unable to look anymore, he stumbled out of his chair, ran over to Zim and violently ripped the cord out of his PAK with a shout of frustration, confusion, and hate.

Saying nothing, he jammed his hand into his pocket and pulled out the keys to the cuffs pinning Zim down, hands trembling. He released the Irken quickly and stepped away as Zim jumped to his feet. Zim hesitated a moment, glaring at Dib in curiosity.

Dib couldn't stand to look at the alien any longer.

"Get…out," he demanded lowly.

"What makes you think I wanted to _stay_ here in your _filthy_ house?" Zim spat disgustedly. His PAK opened and metal limbs sprouted and extended outward. He wasted no time in blasting a hole in the wall causing dirt to spill into the basement.

"I'll spare you this time, Dib, but just because it's so amusing to see you try to stop my plans." the green boy ranted, grinning his zipper-tooth smile the whole time, oblivious to Dib's distraught state, "But mark my words. ZIM WILL _DESTROY_ YOU!"

With that, the Irken scurried on his spider legs out and up to the hole he'd made in Dib's front yard leaving the human in cold solitude.

Dib, still gripping the cable in his hand shakily released it and fell into a chair behind him.

He hated it.

He hated that he'd just let Zim go.

He hated that stupid alien for mocking him.

He hated that he had been spared without a fight.

But most of all, he hated that he actually felt sympathy for the Irken who was more like himself than he wanted him to be.


End file.
